AUCians Take On the Return to Partial Face-to-Face

By: Tarek Khalil
@tarekhe11904038

Following Provost Ehab Abdel-Rahman’s email announcing the return to partial face-to-face at the start of March, students disagreed upon whether a return to campus is safe or not.

Egypt has had a total of 8,310 new cases in this past week, while AUC had 73 new cases. 

Abdel-Rahman stated that the safety of all students and faculty is the top priority and that the decision to return to campus was taken by the cabinet after they assessed AUC’s COVID-19 figures and national figures.

He added that there will still be regulations on those who are allowed to come to campus.

“All classes are scheduled in either labs or studios or in large halls, while satisfying 2 meters social distance and ensuring that everyone wears masks in their classes,” Abdel-Rahman said. 

Despite these measures, many are still against returning to campus.

Engineering graduating senior Sherif el Assiouty explained that he is against the return to campus. 

“No partial face-to-face classes should take place. Many students have chronic diseases or have elderly family members, which they don’t want to put at risk,” el Assiouty said. 

Other students are willing to take the risk of attending because they think learning on campus is more beneficial. 

“Although one should never be forced to attend university, I think it’s the right decision for the partial face-to-face return. It should be optional for those who are vulnerable, but those who choose to go to attend classes at campus should have the right to do so,” freshman student Kareem Hesham told The Caravan.

Following the Provost’s announcement, the Management and Operations Office sent out an email containing the updated COVID-19 Campus Guidelines booklet to ensure a safe return to campus.

According to these guidelines, there are only seven scenarios where students would be granted access to campus. These include students who are registered in partial face-to-face classes, residing in the dorms, and rostered athletes.

The 37-page booklet covers what students should do within various spaces, including classes, restrooms, elevators, events, and the parking lot.

The guidelines mention washing hands before or after using elevators, entering classrooms and attending events. It also states that masks should always be worn on campus and stresses the importance of maintaining social distancing rules. 

Mostafa Ibrahim, computer engineering sophomore, feels very safe attending his classes on campus, as precautionary measures are taken. Students not following these measures are continuously reminded to do so. He also believes that face to face courses are more beneficial.

“The labs I have face to face give me the opportunity to learn something hands-on which is very important in this field and works much better than online,” Ibrahim said. 

Mohamed Farag, Computer Engineering sophomore, says that he has started to ask more questions during his face to face classes and that allowed him to have a deeper understanding of the course.

“I realised I’m much more attentive in face to face classes. It is easier to listen and interact. Classes are much more lively,” Farag said. 

During the Fall 2020 semester, the Student Union held more than one demonstration calling for a return to campus, claiming that a partial face-to-face is required so one can actually get the full learning experience.

Students, staff and faculty are required to answer a self-check questionnaire before entering the university. The online health check consists of a short survey and is available on the AUC website. 

A green face result needs to be shown to the security in order to enter the campus, while a red face means that one should not come to campus and stay home. Those who receive a red face result will also be contacted by the AUC medical team for a check-up.